Johnny Eblen Confident He's Next in Line for PFL Middleweight Title Shot

Johnny Eblen firmly believes his dominant victory over Bryan Battle has cemented his position as the rightful challenger for the PFL middleweight championship. His prior, unexpected loss to the current champion, Costello Van Steenis – widely regarded as 2025's most significant upset – makes a potential rematch highly anticipated, especially given Eblen's strong performance throughout much of their initial encounter.

At PFL Pittsburgh, Eblen secured a first-round submission against Bryan Battle. Simultaneously, Impa Kasanganay defeated Dalton Rosta, also positioning himself as a potential title contender. Before his fight with Battle, Eblen articulated why he should challenge Van Steenis, who recently defended his title against Fabian Edwards at PFL Madrid:

"I've consistently defeated the top contenders, having beaten one challenger twice. In my fight against the current champion, I was leading for most of the bout until the final seconds. Both Dalton Rosta and Impa Kasanganay have lost to an opponent I've defeated twice. This clearly indicates I am the prime candidate for the next title shot, and I believe I've earned it."

Johnny Eblen Aims for Redemption, Title Reclamation, and Multiple Defenses

While Eblen wasn't specifically making excuses, he had previously shared details about his camp before the first Costello Van Steenis fight. The former Bellator MMA champion had been injured, suggesting he might have considered withdrawing before his PFL Africa 1 defeat in Cape Town.

When questioned if a rematch with Van Steenis, with a fully prepared and optimized Eblen, would provide closure for that initial defeat, Eblen responded:

"Yes, I chose to fight, so no excuses. It's true that I've had previous camps with injuries and still won. Things aren't always perfect. However, in that particular situation, it felt like a confluence of factors: traveling to South Africa, my entire corner being unavailable due to a scheduling conflict with Dustin Poirier, and an injury during camp. It was a lot to manage."

"Absolutely, getting a rematch with a full, uninterrupted camp – hopefully without so many simultaneous challenges – would allow me to seek my revenge. Ultimately, regardless of who holds the belt, my main objective is to reclaim that title and defend it as many times as possible."